Free films start Wednesday at Hudson River International Film Festival

Camila Caricato's animated short "Color" will screen Oct. 6 as part of a 3 p.m. block short films at Rutgers University-Newark as part of HRIFF. (Courtesy )

The Hudson River International Film Festival (HRIFF) kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 3, with free screenings and events at locations in Jersey City, Newark and New York City.

HRIFF founder Giselle M. Alers said that the United Nations Association of El Salvador is in alliance with the film festival, which "comes about as a mission to change the minority stereotype via culture, the arts and education. This will also aid in how we as minorities wish to be viewed by influencing content."

Director of programming Christian A. Moran said that he made a specific effort to include Afro-Latino works. "Latinos are made up of different spices, in this case colors. But we, the Latino community, still marginalize the Afro-Latino. Growing up in the 80s and 90s there were barely any mentions in our media of black Latinas. These days, 2018, one of the Spanish networks hired the first Afro-Latina as a news anchor. It is a shame that it took so long. The thought of growing up without any representation is horrible to me. So one of the priorities of the festival is to showcase their work."

Moran's search resulted in him securing a screening of a documentary directed by Rachel Cepeda called "Some Girls."

"After viewing the film and basically emotionally breaking down I knew I had to bring some type of awareness of the film in my Latino community," said Moran. "The film covers the high suicide rate among Latinas because of their struggles of identity in the United States. In 2011 it was 13%, 2015 15% of Latinas attempting suicide, 26% think about committing suicide. I'm afraid to even look at the latest reports since suicide in America has increased by 30%. All info from the CDC.

"In the film you have these teens talking about being sexualized, being lonely, being depressed, and thinking that it would better to have straight hair and lighter skin ...This film gave us a chance to put together a panel to bring suicide prevention awareness.

"Throughout the year HRIFF will showcase more Afro-Latino works in events in northern New Jersey and New York," said Moran.

Screenings are free to attend (though seats are limited, and RSVPing online is necessary to guarantee a seat). "We are very aware of the audience of where our films are playing," said Moran. "This is a chance to bring art films, indie films, international hits and films with diversity to impoverished communities of color."

"When Giselle and I came together I told her (I had) an idea of starting a gateway program in Jersey City for Latino filmmakers. Setting up high school kids with a business class, screenplay writer and director mentors, then in college with producer mentors, interns, summer jobs and even pay for their thesis. All this to accumulate to studio jobs," Moran said.

"Giselle had a very similar idea that she had been working on for years. So we teamed up. This film festival is more of an organization. Now we have companies and organizations jumping to join us or help us sponsor an event because they believe in the mission. We know it's a long journey, but it's a journey that is moving quickly."

A selection of films playing at HRIFF include "Killa," which means moon in the indigenous Ecuadorian Kichwa language that is the (subtitled) film's main spoken one and is the first to use it, according to Moran. It will be screened with an indigenous panel at 3 p.m., Oct. 3 at Pope Lecture Hall, Pope Hall, 2461 Kennedy Blvd. at Saint Peter's University. "Children Behind the Wall," about children left behind at the U.S./Mexico border, screens 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 3 with a director Q&A at the same location. "Some Girls," screens 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the same location, with a suicide prevention panel.

Screening Saturday, Oct. 6 at Rutgers University-Newark, Paul Robeson Campus Center, 350 Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Newark will be "Color," Camila Caricatto's animated film that takes place in a gray city where a man waiting in the subway finds a notebook of drawings that has people in color, and director Blake Elder's "Last Call," about a recovering alcoholic taking shelter from the apocalypse in a bar, starring Dustin Price, along with "Mia Nonna," "Who is Rafael Perez?" and "The Republican."

On Oct. 10, 3 p.m, at NJCU, is "Colonization is Extinction," about gentrification on the island of Puerto Rico, and screens with a Q&A.

On Friday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. a gala at Chart House, Pier D-T Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, will be attended by United Nation members and executive producers, directors, cast, and crews from the film and TV industries. $125 ticket includes dinner, drinks, awards, presentations, announcements and more.

People can RSVP for these films and other selections and see the lineup of films in New York or buy a ticket to the gala at https://www.facebook.com/hrintlfilmfest/.

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